Intercision
by MulticolourInk
Summary: A strange planet, a Time Lord facing regeneration. The Doctor answers a distress call, but is all as it seems?
1. An Unwilling Flight

**INTERCISION (part 1)**

 _A strange planet, a Time Lord facing regeneration. The Doctor answers a distress call, but is all as it seems?_

"How many times have I needed to fix you?", The Doctor said exasperated.

Her reply was a loud, if not annoyed, swoosh echoing from deep within the metal walls and floor.

She was currently in the underbowles of the Tardis, balancing herself on a makeshift hammock seat. Coils and wires hung around her like great fat vines, as she carefully fixed various pieces into the underside of the console.

"Mind you", said The Doctor, "Two-thousand years with only one rider. I reckon you've done good.

The Tardis gave a few chirps and beeps above her.

Suddenly her beeps were immediately replaced by the sound of a loud, booming cloister bell.

"What?"

The Doctor lifted up her goggles and peered upwards past the rafters, her face scrunched up in confusion.

She didn't have time to say anymore before she was jerked off the hammock as another loud BOOM shook the Tardis. The engines roared into life as the Tardis' crystal's flared, and the central console began spark and hum.

Desperately trying to stay balanced, The Doctor crawled her way up the stairs, the Tardis shaking so much it was hard for her to stand.

"Yaz! Ryan! Graham!", she cried, suddenly remembering her friends and praying for their safety. Only then a second later she remembered that they were at home. Yaz was visiting family, Graham had also gone home to sort some business out, and Ryan had gone with him.

That meant The Doctor was off on another adventure. Alone. Without her companions this time.

Pushing herself unsteadily onto her feet she grabbed hold of the console.

"Stop it stop it stop it!", she cried. She clasped hold of the central lever, holding on with all her strength.

But the Tardis seemed out of control as The Doctor's hand was immediately thrown off, nearly throwing The Doctor to fall to the floor again. She half leaned, half sat, on the console as the entire room shook more and more and the clanging got louder and louder.

Then all at once, and with a very loud and violent thud, everything became still.

The Doctor looked up from her position and observed the damage. Thankfully there wasn't much. A few crystals were cracked although the Tardis could fix those up, and the console itself still seemed to be intact, including the biscuit dispenser. Thank goodness she chose not to have bookshelves anymore!

"What was that all about, hey?", she asked concerned.

She stroked the central crystal column gently. Something was wrong. Her girl never acted like this. Well she did, sometimes, but that didn't count her suddenly taking off and making all this noise. Something had upset her greatly.

Gingerly she got down from the console and hurried round to one of the monitors. "Where have you taken me this time girl?", she asked.

A few beeps, faster than normal, answered her, as the Doctor spun the monitor round and tried to make sense of it. On the screen flashed a planet, with information about its climate, soil, and temperature. A slightly cool planet, probably would need her coat for this one.

"Destrax", The Doctor said. The name sounded smooth on her tongue.

"There's a distress call!", she announced. She pressed the flashing icon on the screen. The Doctor took a moment to focus on what it said, then her face fell, and she took a swift step back from the console.

"No…no that's not possible. There's a Time Lord here!"

Her palms were sweating. She had spent many years thinking she had burnt her home planet, Gallifrey, to ashes in the Time War. Thankfully that had not been the case, however getting back there was not the easiest nor the most welcome party. She recalled her previous incarnation, forced to go through the Confession Dial, as an act of mockery by the Time Lords and Rassilon. She recalled the joy of seeing her people, the Gallifreyans, once more, as they stood by her - him - a high admired leader and hero.

Of course, many more things happened…including trying to save a certain friend from death…

No, she wasn't going to think about that anymore. It would only just hurt. And that event was far behind her now.

Yet there was still the dwelling fact at the back of her mind that this should still be impossible. Gallifrey was now all the way on the other side of the universe, hidden, trying to rebuild and prosper with a new-found hope. It would not be likely for a Time Lord to be anywhere else.

And yet of course, with Gallifrey now alive, it was still possible….

"Missy? Master?", The Doctor whispered her old frenemie's names.

Yes that was a possibility. Who else would it be? And yet something about a distress signal from someone like them? No that didn't sit right. Oh this was very confusing!

Mind still reeling, she turned her head to the Tardis doors. Somewhere, out there, was the answers. And more than likely danger.

A series of loud chirps and beeps brought The Doctor back to attention. She turned back and looked up at the central crystal.

"You really want me to go out there?"

She couldn't help the devilish grin that appeared on her face. Unanswered questions was scary, yes. But scary meant something unexplained, new, and exciting!

Dashing back down to the Tardis' underside (and grumbling at the mess), she grabbed her coat, threw it on with a flourish, then dashed back up the stairs. She gave the console one final pat.

"Keep the doors locked until I get back", she smiled.

Then, without looking back, she threw open the Tardis doors, and stepped outside.


	2. Lea

She stepped out of her Tardis and came face to face with an endless metal corridor, stretching far to the left and right. From the steady vibrations in the floors, and the constant humming all around her, The Doctor guessed she had landed on a spaceship. Or a plantation. Possibly both but who knew.

After some deliberation she decided to go left. Left was always the good starting point, wasn't it?

Keeping her Sonic Screwdriver close in hand, she started up the corridor. Her footsteps echoed loudly, and it didn't take The Doctor very long to realise that she was the only one around. There didn't seem to be another soul on board. Some of the lights were still flickering although most had died out, and litters of scrap metal lined the edges between the walls and floor. Clearly this was some scavenger hunt. But for what?

The Doctor was suddenly stopped in her tracks as the corridor opened up to an equally dark and dingy room, the opposite wall taken up by a large window looking out onto the planet. A control console as wide as the window, and taking up half the space in the room, sat in front of it.

The Doctor took a moment to peer out. The universe never ceased to take her breath away. Outside this place was a vast desert, a dark sky with its neighbouring constellation sparkling, and its three moons. There was no one outside, not even a guard.

She turned her attention to the console next. It was coated in dust, clearly had not been used for years.

Hold on, there WAS something odd about this console. The Doctor peered closer. Yes, definitely odd, but then that would mean -

Her thoughts were cut off as she heard a noise coming down the corridor, which continued on from the room.

Straightening up, The Doctor readied her Sonic Screwdriver in front of her, braced herself, and walked forward.

The corridor was much more lit up here, yet there were still obvious traces of scrap metal lying everywhere. This place was getting more interesting, and more dangerous, by the minute. Up ahead the corridor turned right

Steadying her breathing, The Doctor listened more intently. She could hear just the faintest shuffling coming from round the corner. Whatever they were, they had better be ready for her.

No sooner had The Doctor finished this thought that a loud BANG echoed along the whole corridor. Nearly jumping out of her skin and almost dropping her Sonic, The Doctor took a second to compose herself.

"Hello?!", she cried.

When no answer came, The Doctor turned on her Sonic, pointing it more furiously.

"Is someone ther-" She nearly screamed as a humanoid form suddenly fell past the point where the corridor turned right, and lay there stunned, right in the middle of the floor.

Lowering her Sonic slightly, The Doctor watched as the figure shakily stood up, and leaned against the wall. It was a young woman, with flowing copper hair and dishevelled clothing. She was breathing heavily, and clearly in a lot of pain.

She looked up, sensing someone watching her.

"Please help me", she gasped, before her legs gave way beneath her.

The Doctor didn't even hesitate. She ran forward and caught the woman just before she hit the ground again.

"Hey it's alright", she soothed. "I've got you"

She looked at the woman's face and was surprised to see how young she looked. In human age, she looked to be in her mid to late 20s.

The Doctor suddenly gasped as she noticed the familiar glow of regeneration energy coursing under the woman's skin. Gathered around her hands it was now flowing up her arms, like an electric current.

"It was you", said The Doctor. "You're the one who sent the distress signal!"

The Doctor's eyes suddenly caught the attention of a dog tag around the woman's neck. Inspecting it The Doctor could only make out what looked like a name. Lea.

"Lee-ah? Leia?"

"Actually it's pronounced 'Lee', like the male human name", said the woman.

"I'm guessing that's your chosen name?", The Doctor said, smiling a little.

The young woman, now Lea, nodded.

"Nice to meet you, Lea. I'm The Doctor", she grinned.

"The Doctor?", gasped Lea. "As in, The Doctor from Gallifrey? THE Doctor?"

"The very same", The Doctor smiled warmly.

Lea gaped at her, a mixture of both pure joy and disbelief on her face. A moment after she cried out as the regeneration energy flared into life again

"Please! Please make this stop", she said, very near tears.

"I can't, lovely. I'm so sorry", replied The Doctor. It hurt her so to see a fellow Time Lord in pain like this.

Holding the young woman firmly, The Doctor backed up until she found the wall, and gently lowered them both to the ground so they were sitting. Lea pinned her knees up to her chest, gasping and clutching her arms, her nails digging into her skin.

The Doctor knew it wasn't the wisest choice to stay here, but she knew she couldn't make it back to the Tardis with Lea in so much of a state. In her experience, it was best to wait it out.

"You're being such a brave girl", The Doctor soothed. She wrapped one hand around Lea's shoulders while the other stroked her hair. It seemed to calm her, for Lea's breathing had evened out a little. Her head lolled to the side and fell on The Doctor's shoulder.

"I don't like this", Lea sobbed. "I don't like this at all!"

"I know, lovely, I know", The Doctor continued to stroke her hair. "It's alright, just let it happen"

"I don't want to! It hurts so much. Is this really what after regeneration feels like? All this burning?"

"Oh! You're a Newborn!", exclaimed The Doctor. She mentally kicked herself for not figuring it out sooner. Now it made a lot more sense. Newborns were Time Lords who had regenerated for the very first time. They were often never truly prepared for what exactly happened after. It was certainly much more uncomfortable…..

"Don't worry", said The Doctor, trying her best to sound a bit more chirpier. "First time regeneration is usually the most trickiest"

"First time?!"

 _Oh dear._

"Err never mind that", said The Doctor dismissively.

Lea leaned against The Doctor again, exhausted.

"I never wanted this", she sobbed. "I did something wrong, and I'm paying the price"

The Doctor held her firmly, stroking her hair again.

"What happened?", she asked softly.

"I…don't remember"

The Doctor frowned.

"That's just probably the regeneration, making you go all looping. Happens sometimes"

Yet deep down, she knew this couldn't be true.

Lea had her eyes tightly shut, desperately trying to remember. It all seemed so far away from her. If there was a something.

Why could she only remember one image? An image, of being inside a machine? Why could she hear the sounds of manic laughter as she felt like she was being put through a blender?

Lea gasped and clutched her head. She curled up, head between her knees, as the laughing in her head got louder and louder.

"No!", she cried. "No please! Not this!"

"Lea?" LEA?!", she felt The Doctor shaking her. "What is it what's wrong?!"

The laughing in her head stopped. Lea opened her eyes, but remained crouched over on the cold metal floor.

"I severed my regeneration"

The Doctor had to lean in closer to hear that, for Lea's voice had barely whispered above a pitch.

"I'm…I'm sorry?", said The Doctor, puzzled.

She didn't have time to ask anything else. A noise just ahead had caught her attention. Bracing herself over her new friend, The Doctor brandished her Sonic Screwdriver, mentally challenging whatever was there to _dare_ come closer.

She soon got her wish, as four heavily armoured figures, came charging round the corner towards them.


	3. Confrontation

_AUTHORS NOTE: I really enjoyed writing The Doctor's parts so much! I imagined as if Jodie was acting them out as she would in the show. It's so deliciously satisfying when The Doctor becomes threatening!_

 _Updates may be a little slow after this one, but I will try to keep to an update schedule as best as I can. For now, enjoy!_

All four of the armoured figures were droids. Droids with guns built into their arms. Yet The Doctor was not afraid. She had fought bullets before. Had been doing it all her life.

She glared as the droids stood over them. Lea, who was now fully aware of the danger they were in, curled even further under The Doctor's protective stance, shaking like a leaf.

"You are not authorised to be in this part of the vicinity", boomed one of the droids.

The voice sounded male. They were all about six feet tall, and wore heavy metallic masks, that looked far too big for a normal humanoid sized figure. Each part of them was clad in heavy armour.

The droid who had spoken (clearly their leader - as indicated by a golden symbol on its chest), stepped forward.

"You will both stand at once"

"Just one thing before we do so", said The Doctor, her voice dripping steel.

"Do not harm this girl" She pointed to Lea. "Do not harm one hair on her, or you're gonna be very sorry"

"This young female has authorisation in this facility", said the droid leader. "You, older female, do not. Now stand"

"Do as it says, Lea", said The Doctor gently.

In most circumstances, The Doctor didn't like being told what to do, but if it meant sacrificing a bit of her pride to keep Lea safe, so be it.

Both women stood up slowly. Staring them down, the droid leader watched as The Doctor eased Lea behind her, her cold glare enough to evoke some kind of intrigue in its circuits.

"Doctor", whispered Lea, her breath hitching in horror as more droids came from behind them. They were surrounded.

Well so much for making a run for it. Perhaps it was time to get some answers.

"So", said The Doctor, "As you said before, I'm not authorised to be here. Yeah, sorry about that. Ship malfunctioned, just had to stop somewhere to get my bearings. Although I can __quite__ confidently say that you don't throw the best welcome parties. Now, if you could be so kind, tell me where I am"

"You are on Unit 909. Research Facility for the planet Destrax", said the droid leader. "Now, you will cease anymore questions, and allow us to terminate you"

"Oh well that's no fun!", said The Doctor. "Perhaps we could come to an agreement? Maybe allow me as an assistant?"

"Assistance is not required"

"Oh what a shame! Mind you, can't say I'm that upset. I like to run my own tight ship. Savvy? But, two quick questions, just before you gun me down…"

She took a step closer to the droid leader.

"Question one. What sort of research goes on here?"

"That is none of your concern"

"Oh I think it is. Because, question two, why was Lea running scared for her life just now?"

"You are not authorised to know that"

"Oh again with the authorisation! Judging by your design, you're meant to be built to protect. Well, I have news for you"

She took one more step closer. The droid leader didn't move, however she was gleefully aware of its three comrades taking a couple steps back.

"Lea is under my protection now. If you, or any of your metal mates have hurt her, or caused her any distress, you answer to me. Whatever is going on in this facility, I will find the answer. And I will stop whatever twisted plan you've got concocted. Are we clear?"

The droid leader seemed to be taking a moment. It eyed her up and down, squaring her up. Something about this unknown female stirred something in its circuits. She was not an inhabitant of Destrax. Nor was she carrying any weapons. Yet something about the way she spoke, the way she poised in front of them now, her eyes cold, her body rigid, it finally understood.

She was a threat.

"Identify yourself"

"I'm The Doctor"

All at once it was suddenly pandemonium.

"TERMINATE THE DOCTOR!"

The droid leader swung its great arm, poising its gun and allowing it to take aim. The other droids immediately followed suit. Their guns began building up a great load of energy, one that was developed to kill their enemies stone dead.

The Doctor braced herself.

"NO!"

Lea shoved The Doctor out of the way, and stood right in the line of fire. Before The Doctor could call her name, blue plasma bullets struck Lea over and over again.

As quick as they began, the firing stopped. Lea stood there, swaying slightly, as if in a daze.

The Doctor reached out to her, only to draw her hand back as a familiar yellow energy began to pulse around Lea's body.

"Lea", said The Doctor. She licked her lips for her mouth had suddenly gone very dry. "Lea, you need to come back with me"

Lea stared at her arms. Her body was glowing more immensely than before, the light so bright it was blinding her.

"Lea!", The Doctor said more urgently. She reached out to her again. "You need to come back with me, now!"

"Arrest the young female!", cried the droid leader.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!", Lea screamed.

A wave of regeneration energy burst out from Lea, shattering the guns on the droids, and throwing them off their feet.

The Doctor was thrown off her feet too. Hitting the floor rather awkwardly, she shielded her face as the light became intensly bright to see Lea properly.

As quick as it had come, the wave stopped. The droids lay dazed and confused on the floor, some of them trying to stand up, but failing as their circuits had become too scrambled.

The droid leader, however, looked up at Lea, eyes turning blood red behind its mask.

A new threat. An authorised personnel had become a threat.

Before he could reach out and grab her, The Doctor was right by her side. Its eyes glowed redder.

"Come on Lea!"

The Doctor grabbed Lea's hand and she pulled her along, back down the way she had come before.

"UNAUTHORISED PERSONNEL IN THE FACILITY!", the droid leader sent out to its comrades. "TERMINATE THE UNAUTHORISED PERSONNEL!"

All the droids coming to became to load up their backup guns, and fired more plasma bullets at Lea and The Doctor as they ran by.

Explosions ricocheted off the walls. Bursts of blue light barely missed them.

The Doctor gripped Lea's hand firmly, determined to never let her go.

"No!", cried The Doctor, as the two of them nearly smashed into the door to the strange control room. She buzzed the Sonic Screwdriver, but nothing happened.

"Ah! They've blocked off all the exits! It's overridden I can't open it!"

"There's one there!", cried Lea joyfully. She pointed to a door right next to them. That had certainly not been there before.

"Concealed emergency exits!", cried The Doctor. "Clever!" The symbol above - that looked like a sun - seemed to clarify that.

The Doctor pointed the Sonic at it. The symbol glowed green, and the door opened.

The Doctor ushered Lea through, taking a brief moment to look back at the droids still pursuing them, before jumping through herself.

With one click of the Sonic, the symbol turned red, and the door slammed shut.


End file.
